Uniting of iron with other metals and elements



Sept. 9, 1930. w. H. SMITH 1,775,353

' UNI'IING OF IRON WITH OTHER META LS AND ELEMENTS Filed Sept. 23. 1929 I N VENTOR.

A TTORNEY.

Patented Se t. 9, 1930 umro srATas PATENT OFFICE WIIIIIIAI E. SUITE, DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR 'IO GENERAL REDUCTION 0013-.

PORTION, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF "DELAWARE UNI'IING or neon wrrn organ METALS AND 'ELEmEn'rs Application filed September 2a, 1929. Serial it... 394,663.

This i nvention relates to the unitin of iron with other metals and elements, an has to do particularly with the process of combining finely divided metallic iron with other metals and elements under temperature and pressure, and the'article produced. by such rocess. This ap lication is a continuation 1n part of my app ication Serial No. 166,268, filed February 5, 1927.

,Heretofore in the combining of iron with other metals to form alloys, it has been the general practice to raise the temperature of the iron to its melting point and to form the alloy by combining or adding the particular metal or metals or elements to the molten iron. The resulting alloys so produced in the past have been of avery high quality, but the cost of production has been relatively-high due to the steps and procedure involved in raising the iron to a melting temperature, and the resulting article necessarily has had the same consistency throughout.

As fully explained in the above mentioned application, one of the objects of the present invention has to do with the process of associating the finely divided iron with alloying elements while still comparatively cold, compressing the associated iron and alloying metals or elements into the general desired form or forms, subjecting such form or forms to a temperature less than the melting point of the iron wherebyto partly fuse the mass, then bringing the partly fused mass up to the desired temperature for alloying, and subjecting the general form or forms to ressure whereb to close in all the grains into a solid uni orm mass of final shape or shapes.

It is the particular object of thepresent invention to control the preliminary mixing of the different finely divided metallic substances or elements whereby the different individual elements are localized or combined in a predetermined percentage at predetermined points or parts of the'article. In other words, the gist of the present invention resides not only in the uniting of iron with other metals or elements without melting, but also in theparticular manner of so uniting the iron with the other metals or elements so that any given article may be finally formed so that different parts or sections thereof will have a varying consistency and varying physical characteristics.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view illustrating one possible embodiment of my novel process, and showing somewhat diagrammatically an engine block and valve structure formed according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the valve structure shown in Fig. 1, and illustrating one manner of localizing the various elements to form the final valve structure having Varying characteristics according to the different uses to which the different parts of the valve are subjected. v

In carrying out my process, the finely divided metallic iron is associated with the particular metal or metals or elements, in the proportions desired and in accordance with the quality and strength of the alloy desired. The iron and associated metals or elements are then placed under pressure at a temperature which is sufficient to fuse the alloy metal or metals, but at a temperature lower thanthe melting point of the iron.

By fusing it will be understood that the metal or element to be combined with the iron is raised to either it's melting point or plastic state which ordinarily should be considerably below the fusing point of iron which is around 1530 C.- The finely divided iron and other metals or elements having been pressed together while in granular con- 'dition and brought to the desired temperature, less than the melting point of iron; the metals or elements at the lower melting or fusing point will unite with the sponge or finely divided iron to form an iron alloy which may be commercially used. The iron being in. open or porous form, the metals or elements of lower melting point will wet, im-

pregnate, and alloy with the porous iron when suitable pressure is brought to bear upon the mixture at the proper temperature whereby to close in all the grains with the result that they become interlocked into a solid compacted mass.

The particular metals or elements to. be combined with the iron do not constitute an important part of the present invention, as it will be understood that the form and manner of combining such alloying metals or elements may vary considerably. For example, if iron or iron nickel alloys are to be formed, the sponge iron is combined with the correct proportions of tin or nickel and also preferably combined in such a manner as to predetermine the relative density of the iron, tin or nickel. The proper mixed mass is then subjected to a temperature at approximately the fusing point of tin or nickel as thecase may be, which is much lower than the melting point of iron.

When pressure is applied to the .form to shape the same and to close in all the grains, the added elements or alloys will unite with the finely divided iron to form the final article of the desired shape, the relative proportions and densities of the iron and said elements being substantially the same as in the original mix.

At the time of combining the iron with nonferrous metals or elements such metals or elements are preferably in finely divided form. The alloying metals or elements may be mixed with the iron in their pure or reduced form, or. if desired the invention may be carried out by adding the alloying metals or elements in their unreduced form and reducing the same after being mixed with the iron, as set forth in my co-pending application Serial No. 369,003, filed June 6, 1929. In the case where metals of about the same melting point as iron are to be alloyed with the iron, I prefer to conduct the uniting of the elements under reduction conditions in gases such as hydrogen or carbon monoxide.

Another example, as an embodiment of the present invention, may be represented by the uniting of carbon with the sponge or finely divided iron by combining the iron and car- .bon in the desired relative densities and sub-- jecting the same to pressure and temperature. The carbon may be mixed throughout the original mass of iron with a variation in. density, or if desired the carbon may be mixed. in only a part of the iron and part of the iron localized as pure iron. Regardless of the manner of localizing or predetermining the density of the relative ingredients, some of the carbon is combined inherently with the iron particles and some of the carbon is held mechanically as a result of the pressure applied in forming the desired shapes of the combined iron and carbon. v

In the preferred manner of carryin out my novel process, I preferably take the finely divided iron together with the alloy or alloy forming element whether it be carbon or any of the alloying metals or their oxides, and place the same in a suitable mold, taking care to mix the various elements in the approximate portions desired. This mix, while still comparatively cold, is then subjected to pressure whereby to give the same the general desired form or forms. The iron and alloying particles or elements are thus held together in their original mixed position by adhesion and not united. Such form or forms may then be placed in an oven at the proper temperature, and in the proper atmosphere, less than the melting point of the iron, whereby to partly fuse or sinter the mass, When artially sintered or fused and in the general .orm desired, the whole mass is then brought up to the desired temperature of alloying and subjected to pressure or squeezed in proper dies or forms so as to close in all the grains and interlock them in a solid compacted mass. To more clearly illustrate my novel process,

I have shown the same as embodied in a cylinder block and head construction. The cylinder block is shown as consisting of a standard wall portion 1, a main body portion 2, and suitable cooling fins 3, while the head construction is shown consisting of a main body port-ion l'which is in turn provided with a suitable Valve seat 5 for receiving the valve 6.

Instead of casting such block and head from molten metal of a certain uniform consistency, 1 preferably fabricate such parts in accordance with the process as above described, wherein the sponge iron together with the other alloying metals or elements is placed in a suitable mold, brought to the general shape shown in Fig. 1 and then raised to a temperature less than the melting point of the iron, at which point the entire unit is placed under pressure whereby to close in all the grains to produce the final article.

By initially segregating a relatively large amount ofcarbon adjacent the inner walls 1 of the cylinder block casing, it will be obvious that I am able to provide an inside cylinder surfacev of relatively high carbon. This carbon content may be gradually decreased towards the main body 2 of the casting and the material going to make the fins 3 may be so initially arranged as to present the fins of substantially pure iron or a suitable alloy in the nature of a good conductor. The head 4 may be initially formed of a low carbon iron or steel and a suitable alloy material may be localized around the seat 5 so asv to present when machined, a desirable surface for seating the valve. As best shown in Fig. 2, the valve 6 may be made of suitable alloy materials localized at 7 so as to present effective wearin surfaces while the stem of the valve ma ave a center of steel with an outer sur ace of high carbon steel.

It will be obvious that an innumerable number of different arrangements and localizing of different ingredients may be carried out to suit the operating conditions to which any desired article may be subjected. It will thus be seen that I have notonly provided a vided iron with carbon, mixing the iron and carbon whereby the density at any particular point or part is predetermined, and then subjecting the combined iron and carbon to temperature and pressure whereby to form a finished article having a varying carbon density.

2. The process of forming iron alloy articles which consists in associating finely divided iron with .carbon, mixing the iron and carbon whereby the density at any particular point or part is predetermined, and-then subj ecting the combined iron and carbon to temperature and pressure whereby to form afinished article having a varying carbon density,

some of the carbon being combined inherently with the iron and some of the carbon being held mechanically as a result of the pressure applied in forming the desired shape.

3. The process of forming an alloy article which consists in associating a plurality of finely divided metallic substances, mixing the different finely divided metallic substances whereby the different individual metallic particles are localized at predetermined points or parts of the article, and then subjecting the mass to temperatures and pressureswhereby to directly form a finished article having a varying predetermined density.

4. The process of forming iron alloy articles which consists in combining finely divided iron with one or more other finely divided alloying elements, mixing the iron and alloy ing elements whereby at least a portion of one of said alloying elements is localized at a predetermined point or part of the .entire mass, compressing the associated iron and alloying elements into the general desired form or forms whereby to hold the same together by adhesion in the form of a relatively highly porous mass, subjecting said form or forms to a temperature less than the melting point of the iron but suflicient to prepare all the parts of the mass for alloying, and subjecting the general desired form or forms to pressure whereby to close in all the grains to form a solid uniform mass of final shape or shapes.

5. The steps in the process of alloying iron articles without melting which comprise, mixing finely divided iron and one or more other elements whereby the relative density of the iron and at least one of the other elements is predetermined at a localized point or part, and then subjecting the mixture to temperature and pressure whereby to form the final finished article whileretaining the relative densities and localization of the iron and at least one of said other elements.

6. As a new article of manufacture, an in tegral metallic unit having its main body structure formed of iron or steel shaped from finely divided materials without melting, certain localized portions of said iron orsteel being combined with other elements mixed therewith before shaping whereby different cross sectional parts of the unit will Vary in physical characteristics- 7 As a new article of manufacture, a unitary metallic article having its main body portion formed of iron or steel and shaped directly from finel divided iron without melting, a portion 0 said article adjacent one surface thereof being provided with a surplus amount of carbon predetermined before forming and shaping so as to present a body portion, adjacent said surface, high in carbon content.

8. As a new article of manufacture, a unitary metallic article originally formed of a plurality of elements including finely divided iron and shaped therefrom without melting, the location of said elements relative to the iron being localized and predetermined before shaplng and according to the particular operating conditions to which different parts of said article are subjected.

In testimony whereof I afiix my si nature.

WILLIAM H. S ITH. 

